(This is the last reflection this season. Thanks for journeying with us! We hope that many blessings accompanied you and your loved ones!)

Anne Sanders, Oblate, St. Gertrude Monastery, Ridgely, MD

In 1927, poet/author/critic TS Eliot converted to the Anglican faith; about the same time, he sent a Christmas card to his publishers with a poem inside: The Journey of the Magi. It was published later in a compilation of his Christmas card writings, the “Ariel” Series.

In his intellectual/ artist/ literary circles, his peers were not impressed with his conversion. Virginia Woolf publicly mocked his faith; Nabokov’s plays contained parodies of his post-conversion work. Despite the ridicule of peers, TS Eliot remained a devout Anglo-Catholic until his death in 1965. ​In the Journey of the Magi, a monologue written in the voice of one of the three Magi (now aged and reflecting on the event) we see Eliot’s journey to faith in the Mage’s recollection of his journey- first, the literal difficulty and hardships, the struggles with doubt and regret. Then, finding peace in accomplishment; recognizing signs and portent not yet understood, and finally, an acquiescence, a revelation, an epiphany: that hope is found in this new Life and to be reborn, the old ways must be abandoned.

Top: Star from nativity scene at Fraterna Dorma, site of the 4th World Congress of Oblates in Rome, 2017.

The poem is based on the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 2, and the first 5 lines are quoted verbatim from Lancelot Andrewes 1622 Christmas sermon on the Epiphany

The Journey of the Magi by TS Eliot

'A cold coming we had of it,Just the worst time of the yearFor a journey, and such a long journey:The ways deep and the weather sharp,The very dead of winter.'And the camels galled, sorefooted, refractory,Lying down in the melting snow.There were times we regrettedThe summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,And the silken girls bringing sherbet.Then the camel men cursing and grumblingand running away, and wanting their liquor and women,And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendlyAnd the villages dirty and charging high prices:A hard time we had of it.At the end we preferred to travel all night,Sleeping in snatches,With the voices singing in our ears, sayingThat this was all folly.

Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness,And three trees on the low sky,And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel,Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,And feet kicking the empty wine-skins.But there was no information, and so we continuedAnd arrived at evening, not a moment too soonFinding the place; it was (you might say) satisfactory.

All this was a long time ago, I remember,And I would do it again, but set downThis set downThis: were we led all that way forBirth or Death? There was a Birth, certainlyWe had evidence and no doubt. I had seen birth and death,But had thought they were different; this Birth wasHard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,With an alien people clutching their gods.I should be glad of another death.

​On this day, we celebrate the Epiphany of Jesus Christ, when our Savior was revealed to the world for the first time, as the Gospel of Matthew (2:1-12) tells us, as it was witnessed by wise men from the East.

What a powerful moment! And yet, I wonder, was the significance immediately recognized by the road weary Magi? Eliot’s Magi had a long time to reflect as he traveled the hundreds of miles on the return home and by the time he reached his own Kingdom and realized his epiphany, he understood that his life would no longer be the same and he would be unable to return to his old ways.

We know that Jesus continued to reveal himself to others throughout his lifetime- we have Gospels full of stories. Even so, he often continued to encounter a lack of understanding, even by those closest to him (hello, Peter!); it took Jesus’ death and resurrection for many of those who knew him to have their epiphanies.

This year, as I consider the Epiphany and in particular, Eliot’s poem, I am wondering about the ways God reveals himself to me.

How can I, as a 21st century Christian, living in such a busy and noisy time, ever hope to notice God’s presence in my life?

Am I keeping my eyes open and am I listening with the ear of my heart?

Do I hesitate, worrying about being “no longer at ease, in the old dispensation?”

How do I cope with new insight and reconcile old ways with new knowledge when I recognize God’s touch in my life?

…and then, what if I just don’t get it?

Like the Magi and Jesus’ apostles, we may not always realize or understand what is being revealed to us… or why. Or maybe we do, but we just don’t know what to do with the information. Or, maybe we don’t like or want to face what is being revealed.

God works in unexpected ways, beyond our imagination, and the truth is that in our cynical and modern world, we may not ever realize his presence. But I want to marvel in it! So, I understand that it is up to me to trust and rely on my faith and my relationship with God in order to realize my own epiphanies.

And as a follower of the tradition of St. Benedict, I am blessed to follow a Rule to help guide me on my Journey.

Did you notice that in his Journey of the Magi, TS Eliot stresses, twice: “…set down This. Set down This.” His Magi, is telling us emphatically to pay attention to what he is about to share. He is asking us to LISTEN. Sound familiar?

Christ is born to all of us today (1)​Growing up in a Quaker Meeting community, with our expectant, waiting worship, with no ritual and relatively few words, I learned to enter a silence of God and to listen and look. Over years I became aware of the light, light from outside the large windows of the Quaker Meeting House, a light sometimes covering all of us in worship and sometimes radiating from one person, and the light within, light everywhere! Later when I read his Journal, George Fox, the founder of Quakerism, provided words to affirm my experience:​“Christ it was who had enlightened me, that gave me his light to believe in, and gave me hope, which is himself, revealed himself in me, and gave me his spirit and gave me his grace, which I found sufficient in the deeps and in weakness.” (2) And the words of the Prologue of the Book of John especially have resonated for me: “He was with God in the beginning…. What has come into being in him was life, life that was the light of men, and light shines in darkness and darkness could not overpower it…. The Word was the real light that gives light to everyone…. To those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God” (New Jerusalem Bible, John 1: 2, 4-5, 9, 12)

Light shining through everything

I have loved reading the poems of Ann Weems at Christmas. One is “Christmas Comes”:​‘Christmas comes every time we see God in other persons.The human and the holy meet in Bethlehem or in Times Square,for Christmas comes like a golden storm on its way to Jerusalem-determinedly, inevitably….Even now it comes in the face of hatred and warring- no atrocity too terrible to stop it, no Herod strong enough, no hurt deep enough, no curse shocking enough, no disaster shattering enough.For someone on earth will see the star, someone will hear the angel voices, someone will run to Bethlehem, someone will know peace and goodwill:The Christ will be born!’ (3)

George Fox also wrote, “I … saw there was an ocean of darkness and death, but an infinite ocean of light and love, which flowed over the ocean of darkness. In that also I saw the infinite love of God.” (4)

For reflection: How will my priorities change as I receive the babe Christ this year?

​ We have only a few hours before we celebrate Him in whom all we have longed for is fulfilled. Now is the time to rehearse our own ‘Yes’ to God being born in us; now is the time to say ‘Yes’ to our light-bearer identity. In our last minute Christmas preparations, let us try to live this brief, short day of Advent with Mary, who longed for the Promised One, with love beyond all telling. The Life stirring in her is the Author of Life – announcing that a new in-breaking of God is happening. How do we relate to this marvelous news? For what do we listen and how are we to listen? So many different voices clamor for our attention. Benedict wisely tells us to listen “with the ear of our heart”.

Like Mary we can say ‘Yes’ in our lives to our God who chooses to be known by us, who calls us holy, and who passionately longs that we be filled with the Beloved’sIndwelling-Presence. We can “enflesh” our Blessed One’s Light, Life and Love to the broken, dispirited war-torn world through the goodness of our own lives by the “overshadowing” of the radiant One’s Spirit and our ‘Yes’.

​ Consider this poem by Hafiz:

​We have not come into this exquisite worldto hold ourselves hostage from love, or to confine our wondrous spirits.

But to surrender ever more deeply to freedom and joy,To experience ever more deeply, Our divine courage, freedom and Light!

Thoughts to Ponder:What is it like to know that God is where God chose to be - in you?Gabriel announced divine Presence in Mary. I experience God’s Presence in my life when…… through……. by……..I announce the Word made flesh within me for others when……

​Luke 1:46-50, 53-54​Advent elicits in me memories of my childhood. At age 10, I joined the girls’ choir and sang at the Sunday Masses. When Advent arrived, I remember feeling a bit sad because the church was draped in purple. However when the third Sunday arrived (Gaudete Sunday) and the priest donned pink vestments, a spirit of joy encompassed me because I knew Christmas would soon arrive. I so looked forward with child-like anticipation to the beautiful flowers, the manger scene, the uplifting music, the gifts, but especially my first solo on Christmas eve—the beginning of many.Now however that I am old, my reflections are certainly much different. Gaudete Sunday still fills me with rejoicing, as I reflect on the scriptures. Joy and rejoicing continue to be the theme of the third Sunday of Advent to this very day.In the Old Testament, Isaiah rejoices greatly in the Lord for God is the joy of his soul.He feels like a bride and bridegroom “dressed to the nines” filled with anticipation,expectation and excitement. Isaiah’s heart is filled with great joy because the Lord has blessed him abundantly.We also have Mary as an example of someone who rejoices always. Her visit to Elizabeth causes her to break forth in a song of praise (the Magnificat) because of her delight in being the bearer of God’s son. Her joy is all encompassing as she waits in joyful hope for the expected one, the prince of peace, and the savior of the world.

In the New Testament reading to the Thessalonians, Paul calls us to rejoice always, to prayconstantly, and to offer thanks to God for all of our gifts. Peace must be a goal in life and our nearness to God and our awareness of God’s presence throughout the day will bring about that peace and joy.

John the Baptist, in the Gospel reading shouts out his joy because he has been sent by God to give testimony to the coming of the Messiah—the light of the world. John, whose mission will soon come to an end, is the voice calling all of us to rejoice and be glad for Emmanuel (God with us) will be among us.As I reflect on these readings I am still beamed back to my childhood and the many graces I received then. I am so grateful for God’s goodness to me throughout my many years andI am thankful for the joy that still remains in my heart.

1. What thoughts does Advent elicit in you?2. Think of the many ways in your life that you have experienced joy.3. Find time in the course of the day to reflect on God’s goodness to you and thank God for your many blessings

This sentence, in this week’s Gospel Mark took from the Old Testament Book of Malachi. The words were included in the Gospel to describe John the Baptist’s ministry. He was to make the Jews aware of their need for repentance and the need to serve and prepare for God. He was trying to get the Jews to accept whatever God brings forth.​So how do we prepare the way of the Lord and make straight his paths? We prepare much the same ways the Jews were asked to prepare, repentance for past actions and recognition of our desire for and need for God. Our crooked paths are filled with what occupies our time, electronics, entertainment, socializing, shopping. Each of these activities can cause us to swerve from our most sacred and straight path toward the Lord. We are to put Christ before all else. This very instruction was also given by St. Benedict in his Rule in Chapter 72. Making straight the Lord’s path would put him above all else.

Most of us have taken pretty circuitous routes in our lives. We have veered down one winding path after another always searching for what satisfies, but sooner or later we realize that these things just do not provide fulfillment. ​So make straight the way of the Lord, make Christ the main focus and you will find the divine energy that satisfies. If we are able to put other items and interests on the back burner and always remember where we are heading, advent will blossom in its meaning of preparing and waiting for God. Then maybe we will be more what we are supposed to be, alive, life-giving and life-sharing, nourishing and heartfelt in both gratitude and compassion.

Questions to ponder.

Why was it important for Mark to refer back to an Old Testament reading? How does this connect the past to the present and look toward the future?

What steps might you take this Advent to make straight the Lord’s path?

Is repentance sorrow for our misdeeds or a recognition of a desire for closeness to the divine?